NW 10th and 235

[ljbab728]

This reminds me of when I lived in Mustang near the intersection of Czech Hall Road and Highway 152. New ramps were constructed at the intersection and, when they were built, the ramps emptied out into the street and not into the crosswalks. They had to be immediately torn out and rebuilt. It makes you wonder about the common sense used by some planners or designers.

[Larry OKC]

Per request, I went out there today with a tape measure. 46" clearance on the north side of the pole, 50" on the south of it. I don't care what anyone says, it's a tight fit for someone in a wheelchair or motorized scooter. I'm a tall, athletic guy and just walking on one side was close enough, not to mention do we want to make people in a wheelchair have to barely squeeze through and hit it at just the right angle. Stupid IMO.

Steve, feel free to post these on your blog or send to the city, just give me credit for the photos (although bad quality).

Agree completely (and thanks for the pics)!

Just a thought and although it would still look stupid, think how much added clearance there would be if the support base had been made flush with the ramp (instead of raised).

[BoulderSooner]

i still don't see a big problem .. maybe its not ideal but .. over 4 feet on one side and almost 4 on the other .. is plenty enough space ...

[OKCMallen]

i still don't see a big problem .. maybe its not ideal but .. over 4 feet on one side and almost 4 on the other .. is plenty enough space ...

+5

[Spartan]

+5

-6

[metro]

i still don't see a big problem .. maybe its not ideal but .. over 4 feet on one side and almost 4 on the other .. is plenty enough space ...

Because just OK is good enough.....

[Larry OKC]

Because just OK is good enough.....

Good thing we didn't have the same thought with the Ford Center, huh?

[kevinpate]

Good thing we didn't have the same thought with the Ford Center, huh?

They kinda did.
Fixed it later though <VBG>

[Spartan]

They should be saving all of these poles-in-the-middle-of-sidewalks for South Robinson, where it would actually have a semi-constructive use. Just ask bbates.

[Larry OKC]

They kinda did.
Fixed it later though <VBG>

Now, now...we were told repeatedly the Ford was state of the art and other glowing terms...but that aside, I was talking about the attitude of it being good enough, the improvements wouldn't have been voted in. 'Cause the City insisted the improvements were needed anyway, NBA or no NBA.

[Larry OKC]

They should be saving all of these poles-in-the-middle-of-sidewalks for South Robinson, where it would actually have a semi-constructive use. Just ask bbates.

<<rimshot>>

[TheTravellers]

... We really have a pathetic sidewalk system unless you are at NW 164 & Western or Memorial and Penn.

Why is it that the places that need sidewalks and crosswalk the most have the least, and the areas that use them the least have the most?

Apparently lots of streets are going to get sidewalks,maybe, eventually, sometime, judging from all the orphaned ramps that have been built on corners on MacArthur, May, etc.

[Snowman]

I don't the dispute with the pole is technical accessible. Again, it is technically sufficient for a car to squeeze down an 8' road, but if we started to build roads that way tomorrow, there would be a lot of upset people.

To me, it is no different than : Urban Review SLT

or swamplot

and here in OKC: OKC Central

It just doesn't make for a healthy urban environment. Since this is an area we are all hoping will grow with development, it is sad to see a lack of resolve to do it right.

It is one thing to leave traffic light and telephone poles if it were already installed but speed limit signs and no parking polls, ah.

[metro]

Apparently lots of streets are going to get sidewalks,maybe, eventually, sometime, judging from all the orphaned ramps that have been built on corners on MacArthur, May, etc.

Yes, as previously discussed many times, OKC passed a GO Bond Issue in 2007 that includes almost a BILLION dollars of new road and sidewalk construction and repaving. Also we were about to get sued by the Feds by not being ADA compliant. Additionally MAPS 3 includes a few million for sidewalks.

[okclee]

Why does it seem that Okc is starting sidewalk work from the outside edges of the metro working their way in?

It seems there are more new sidewalks on the outer fringes of the city than there are inner city i.e NW164th, SW 119th.

[Architect2010]

Are sidewalks now part of a requirement when you build new in the city? I've come to that assumption (maybe wrong though). If so, then that would explain why it seems the outer fringes have more sidewalk development than the inner-city, as they primarily have a lot of new development. The inner-city has been getting sidewalks though also, and the core of the city already has sidewalks in place, albeit mostly worn and torn. I think sidewalk replacement should be prioritized on the inner-southside and northside where a lot of people walk regardless the lack of sidewalks.

[Larry OKC]

Why does it seem that Okc is starting sidewalk work from the outside edges of the metro working their way in?

It seems there are more new sidewalks on the outer fringes of the city than there are inner city i.e NW164th, SW 119th.

Yes and no.

Believe they changed city codes a few years ago that required sidewalks in new development (since most of those are in outlying areas, that adds to the perception). Sidewalks are part of the 2007 bond issue whenever street widening is called for (think most of the that is non-core as well). Then as others have mentioned, MAPS 3 has $10M for sidewalks that may be missed in the bond issue (geared more towards public places like libraries, schools etc).

on edit: mostly what Architect2010 posted :-)

[TheTravellers]

Yes, as previously discussed many times, OKC passed a GO Bond Issue in 2007 that includes almost a BILLION dollars of new road and sidewalk construction and repaving. Also we were about to get sued by the Feds by not being ADA compliant. Additionally MAPS 3 includes a few million for sidewalks.

Thanks for the info, didn't live here between 1995 and 2009, so wasn't aware of much of anything happening here between those dates. Just strange that they'd build the curb ramps, but nothing else. Maybe that was just enough for OKC to not get sued? "See, we're ADA compliant, wheelchairs can get up to the sidewalk from the street. Yeah, there's only 2 more feet of sidewalk after the ramp, so what's your point?"

[Double Edge]

Thanks for the info, didn't live here between 1995 and 2009, so wasn't aware of much of anything happening here between those dates. Just strange that they'd build the curb ramps, but nothing else. Maybe that was just enough for OKC to not get sued? "See, we're ADA compliant, wheelchairs can get up to the sidewalk from the street. Yeah, there's only 2 more feet of sidewalk after the ramp, so what's your point?"

I asked a person supervising a concrete pour on some of those awhile back and was told it was stimulus money paying for the ramps.

[rcjunkie]

Thanks for the info, didn't live here between 1995 and 2009, so wasn't aware of much of anything happening here between those dates. Just strange that they'd build the curb ramps, but nothing else. Maybe that was just enough for OKC to not get sued? "See, we're ADA compliant, wheelchairs can get up to the sidewalk from the street. Yeah, there's only 2 more feet of sidewalk after the ramp, so what's your point?"

Anytime they reconstruct streets and or curbs, ADA requires these ramps, sidewalks will be added as funds are available.

[Larry OKC]

^^^
Now if the sidewalks CONNECT with the ramps.....

[Double Edge]

Lets hope.

The ramps I was told were paid for by federal stimulus money were put in up and down Council last winter when no road improvements were being done. None have happened since either, nor have connecting sidewalks.

[Double Edge]

OKLAHOMA CITY – It likely comes as no surprise to most Oklahomans that federal stimulus dollars are paying for the installation of new wheelchair ramps at intersections in and around Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The surprise would be that many of these pristine ramps lead nowhere.

http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=11690769

[Larry OKC]

Not really that surprising as it has been that way for years now. A few years back, they installed ramps on the corners along SW 36th (Grand Blvd). Then a couple of years later when they put in the paved trail along it, sometimes they connected, sometimes on the opposite corner and sometimes would come within a couple of feet of connecting. Someone else in another thread said it was due to different funding (federal for the ramps) but why can't someone connect the dots?!

[TheTravellers]

OKLAHOMA CITY – It likely comes as no surprise to most Oklahomans that federal stimulus dollars are paying for the installation of new wheelchair ramps at intersections in and around Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The surprise would be that many of these pristine ramps lead nowhere.

http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=11690769

Thanks for the story, it is pretty silly that they're doing this since they've actually had to demolish/cut the curb, then rebuild it with a ramp at a lot of intersections since they just did a quick strip-and-overlay on the street and didn't do anything to the sidewalks. Oh well....